This invention relates to a graphical user interface (xe2x80x9cGUIxe2x80x9d) which shows an operational history of computer code.
Debugging computer code can be a time-consuming and difficult task. This is particularly true for code used with parallel processors, in which several computer programs, or xe2x80x9cthreadsxe2x80x9d, are executed concurrently. These threads may interact with other code and with various hardware devices, making it difficult to determine where problems or inefficiencies in the code lie.
In one aspect, the invention is a GUI which includes a display that shows an operational history of a thread for use in a microengine of a processor. The displayed operational history provides a programmer with information that can be useful in debugging code in the thread and/or in designing more efficient code for the thread.
This aspect may include one or more of the following. The operational history may include states of execution of the thread as a function of time. Different states of execution may be displayed as different colors, and may include a first state in which the thread is executing, a second state in which the thread has been aborted, and a third state in which the thread is stalled.
The GUI may display operational states associated with the microengine. These states may include a first state in which the microengine is idle, and a second state in which the microengine is disabled. The GUI may also display event indicators that show reference events that relate to the thread as a function of time. The event indicators may include one or more of a first indicator which indicates that the thread has issued a reference to a device, a second indicator which indicates that the reference has been queued by the device, a third indicator which indicates that the reference has been removed from a queue by the device for processing, a fourth indicator which indicates that processing is done, a fifth indicator which indicates that a signal has been issued to the thread that processing is done, and a sixth indicator which indicates that the signal has been consumed by the thread.
The reference events may relate to a device in communication with the thread, and the GUI may include an identifier which identifies the device to which the reference events relate. The GUI may include a window which shows computer code for the thread, a first pointer which is movable through states of execution of the computer code, and a second pointer which is movable relative to the computer code to indicate a portion of the computer code executing at a state of execution.
The GUI may display operational histories of multiple threads for use in microengines of the processor. The GUI may therefore include multiple windows for showing computer code corresponding to more than one of the multiple threads. The GUI may include a code label that is displayed relative to a state of execution of computer code in the thread. The code label corresponds to a routine in the computer code that is executing at the state of execution. A window may be provided for selecting the code label. Time in the GUI may be defined by cycles of the processor.
In another aspect, the invention is a GUI that includes state indicators which show states of execution of threads running in microengines of a processor. The state indicators show the states of execution as functions of clocking in the processor. A window in the GUI shows computer code corresponding to one of the threads.
This aspect may include one or more of the following. The state indicators may show different states of execution in different colors. The GUI may include event indicators which show reference events that relate to one or more of the threads as functions of the clocking in the processor. The GUI may include identifiers which identify devices to which the reference events relate, a first pointer which is movable relative to one of the state indicators, and a second pointer which is movable relative to the computer code in the window to indicate a portion of the computer code executing at a state of execution. The state indicators may be linear and may be displayed relative to cycles of the processor. The window may show the computer code in read-only format, and an option may be provided to display the computer code in read/write format.
Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description, claims, and drawings.